Since first coming in contact with a source for loose teas and a community around it, I've been hearing about Pu'er (pu-erh, puer, etc. -- The only deliberately aged and oxidized teas) and its earthy goodness. Shortly after, I was labaling the tin lids from my Adagio sample packs (I ordered them all, perhaps more on that later) and realized I had a pu'er tea in the Black Tea sampler: Pu'er Dante.
So I decided what the hey, I'll give it a try. I'm getting used to gong fu brewing, and that's the most preferred method for pu'er. I learned more than I expected, and I think that even though it's not a high end pu'er, its an entry into the practice and a little into the flavors of pu'er. Of course, most peole say the higher end pu'er, Pu'er Poe, is a better introduction to pu'er teas than Dante. but I won't waste tea (unless I find one I really can't stand, but then I'd at least try to find someone who likes it and give them a free gift).
Any way, I've heard a lot that the first infusion can sometimes need to be a little longer than the second infusion, because the rinses do not reconstitute the tea as fully as we may hope. So the first infusion
was not nearly as full as the second infusion.
The flavor is not nearly as complex as many Pu'ers I've read about. that is, I probably missed a lot of subtleties considering my lack of experience with most kinds of tea. However, it gave me an idea of the earthiness to expect. Though it lacks the sweet element that many new and greener teas may have, it did posess more of a depth than I expected. It makes me look forward to more Pu'er down the road, when I decide I'm ready.
The tea was still running strong after 8 infusions of 110mL each. I might have continued, but that's a lot of water! After reading reviews of different Pu'er teas, I expected less color in this latest cup. Many pictures of late infusions are a mild amber. This came as a warm brown. I wonder what subleties I'll uncover next time!
Tea amount: ~4g
Water: Just off boiling
Infusions: 16s, 15s, 20s, 25s, etc., ~60s. at 8th Infusion
Sencha Overture
Pu'er was yesterday. Tonihgt, after my root canal, and my feeling and taste have returned, is Sencha Overture! The last Green I tried was Gunpowder. Several people told me that Adagio's Gunpowder is not as 'vegetal' as many other green teas. I honestly don't have a direct memory of my gunpowder experience, as it was my first loose green tea so I was simple immersed in its general impression than its total qualities. So i won't make any comparison at least until I've tried the Gunpowder again.
On with it! On with the blog, I say!
I brewed the Sencha in my Tokoname-style puffer fish pot, which has been showing itself as a worthy multitasker.
Four infusions, each a little less than three minutes to avoid bitterness early on. Each time the tea was a little lighter and the flavor a little weaker, but it was still quite nice.
I say the flavor was weaker, but I don't mean to say it had a weak flavor. There was a surprising sweetness underlying this tea. It's something to slowly savor, drawing it slowly to experience every drop, in stead of gulping it because it's cool enough to do so. There's a leafy goodness immediately present in every sip. Some may say it tastes like grass. At first, it was a little surprising. But then I noticed how it's more of a fresh taste. It is not the 'vegetal' people have mentioned so fondly of quality green teas, but I was far from disappointed. (Im currently limited to the green tea sampler from Adagio, and I'm not getting more until I'm at least mostly finished with them)
I read the comments on this tea on Adagio, and found that many green tea fans say it's good for an every day tea. I'll look around. There are many offerings by many vendors out there. And there are many, many price points. However, I do agree that this was a good tea for entry into the Sencha experience.
Honest TEA
I had a root canal today. That means that while the lower right side of my head was regaining feeling, I was going to the store to fill a prescription and find something to easily chew, in case I habitually let it slip to the right (my dominant side) and onto the bad tooth. Any way, I found an affordable bottled tea. Better yet, it's not overly sweet! Better than that, it's organic with real tea! And as I expected, the tea flavor is foremost in every sip. I was quite pleased.
It's Honest Tea. Enough said. Well, not quite. The tea is not as specific of whichever variety of Oolong, black, White, or Green tea is being used. However, it is indeed real tea! The web site shows seven varieties, but none of the exact varieties I found in the store. Also I noticed that the varieties listed on the site are mostly unsweetened. What I had was lightly sweetened, and sports a slightly different logo (it has Opus the penguin). It's very nice to see such offerings in a local store!
Uncited references from my last entry
Just a note: some inspiration from my previous entry was inspired by (original author) marshalln, and copied in full text to at least one other blog, "qft" as it may be. Credit goes where it is due.
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